Col. Trumbull.- We copy the following letter from this gentleman, not
only as a measure of justice to him, but also on account of the information
it contains, which will be new to most of our readers, and interesting to all
of them. It will be seen that Col. Trumbull is not a "mere painter," but
that he has served, and with distinguished honor too, in the field, during the
Revolutionary War, and in the councils of our country since that period.
Our respect for his services should not be lessened because they were rendered
during the most trying period of our history; not should his high reputation
as an artist deprive him of any of his rights as a citizen, or subject to him
to the sneers of our rulers if he exercises those rights.-National Journal.

From the New York American.
New York, 20th Jan. 1830.

To the Editor of the American:- May I beg the favor of you to publish
in your paper the following copy of a letter which I have thought it my duty
to address to the Honorable Mr. Wilde in Congress, the original of which I sent
to him by the mail two days ago; and which I now wish to make public in consequence
of the publicity of his attack.

After having devoted ten of the best years of my life, in very early
youth and in middle age, to the active service of my country; and having employed
the intervals of military and political occupations in acquiring an elegant
art, for the very purpose of preserving through its means the memory of the
great events and illustrious men of the Revolution, I did hope to enjoy some
repose during the fragment of a life which can remain to a man who has passed
its ordinary limits. It appears cruel towards me, and disgraceful to themselves,
that so many men in Congress should have continued to teaze [sic] me with a
repetition of paltry personal squibs. They may rest assured that however
painful the task may be, yet, so long as my intellect and my hand are spared,
I shall never fail to return an answer.

Yours, truly.
JOHN TRUMBULL.

New York, January 16th, 1830

Honorable Mr. Wilde in Congress:

Sir:- In the newspapers of the day I observe a sketch of the debate which
took place in the House of Representatives on the 11th instant, on the subject
of the memorial from this city, relating to the Cherokee Indians, and
which was signed by me as Chairman of the meeting. I am very much obliged
to you for the favorable terms in which you spoke of me as an artist; but when
you recommend to "the painter to stick to his pallete [sic]," you perhaps were
not aware that I had not been always not merely, a Painter.

You might not know that in August, 1775, I was appointed an Aid-de-Camp
to General Washington, and I am the oldest of the few survivors who had that
honor.

You might not know that in July, 1776, I was appointed Adjutant General
of the Northern Department with the rank of Colonel, under the command of General
Gates: and that, of course I am now one of the oldest surviving Colonels of
the Revolutionary Army.

You might not know that in 1794, I attended Mr. Jay as his Secretary,
in his very important though unpopular, embassy to England.

And probably you do not know the triumphant result of the 7th article
of the Treaty then negotiated by him, relating to the subject of "irregular
or illegal captures."

The papers relating to the subject were deposited by the American Commissioners
in the Department of State in 1804. It did not suit the policy of the
Government at that time, to give publicity to a result which was so favorable
to the commercial part of the nation, and so honorable to Mr. Jay; and as those
papers perished when Washington was burnt, it is probable that you are not accurately
acquainted with the facts: I beg leave to state them to you.

The Commission to which was referred the subject "of irregular of illegal
captures," was composed of five members. Mr. Gore and Mr. Pinkney on the
part of the United States, Dr. Nichols and Dr. Swaby (two of her most eminent
civilians) on the part of Great Britain; and I was the fifth Commissioner representing
both nations. This Commission was clothed with authority paramount to
all Courts of Prize of both nations; it was very natural for the two Commissioners
of each party to think their own Government generally right; and such was the
fact on all important questions-of course all such questions remained to be
decided, and were decided by the fifth Commissioner.

In very many cases, the decisions of the courts of both nations were
overruled by us, and reversed; and the Government of Great Britain actually
and faithfully paid under our awards, to citizens of the United States, more
than ten millions of dollars.

It is not to be supposed that I hazarded such a course in such society
during seven years in the city of London, and supported my decisions by written
opinions without having devoted some time to the study of the law of nations.
If you had known these facts, perhaps you would not have thought it so
extraordinary that "the Painter" should now risk an opinion on a question which
he regards as one strictly of international law.

I reason thus:- By the Constitution of the United States, treaties are
the supreme law of the land; obligatory not merely on all individuals, but on
all States which compose the nation.

The power of making treaties is vested exclusively in the President and
Senate.

Many treaties have been made between the Presidents and Senates in the
United States and the Cherokee Nation.

A treaty can be annulled only by the consent of both contracting parties,
or by the violent and lawless conduct of one.

The Cherokee Nation, one of the parties in this case, far from giving
their consent to a dissolution of existing treaties, earnestly insist upon their
fulfillment.

Therefore, the present attempt to set aside these treaties, by an act
of the Government of the United States, or their supineness or, connivance,
does appear to me to be a direct and most unfair appeal to the law of the strongest!-
a principle which I am very reluctant to see acted upon by the Government of
my country, in this or any case.

Thus thinking, and presuming that I am a free citizen of a free country,
I cannot be persuaded that I have acted improperly in expressing my opinion
on this important subject, to the representatives of the Nation: and I presume
that every gentleman who took part in the memorial in question, will most cordially
subscribe to these opinions.

Permit me to add, for the information of Mr. Thompson, and whomsoever,
that the meeting, of which I had the high honor to act as Chairman, was not
held in a grog-shop, but in the most spacious hall in this city, which was literally
filled by the most respectable of its inhabitants.

I am &c. &c.
JOHN TRUMBULL.

This transcription
from the Cherokee Phoenix is presented as part of the historical record, and
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reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place including
terminology that may not be deemed appropriate today. While an effort has been
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